An accomplished professional with a rich background spanning 16 years, Din Chaney serves as the VP of Talent-as-a-Service, a flexible and scalable solution, at HireBetter, a leading talent partner for dynamic, growth-minded companies. Her career is reflective of the results that emerge when adeptly maneuvering through different roles within the dynamic landscapes of recruiting and sales. 

After earning her bachelor’s in Communication from The University of Texas at Austin, Din’s career commenced at Morgan Stanley followed by PDI, a partner of American Express, both of which honed her skills as a Sales Representative. The foundation laid during this period set the stage for a career marked by continuous growth and adaptability.  In 2010, Din ventured out on her own and launched Task Boutique, a small firm providing recruiting support with heavy focus on technical recruiting and talent consulting. Over the past decade, she has navigated the intricacies of talent acquisition, showcasing her expertise and commitment to the field. 

Din’s remarkable journey in recruiting reached a tipping point in May 2020, when she started working with Diverse Recruiting Experts (DRE) as an external consultant. Her rise through the ranks was immediate and nothing short of meteoric. By November 2020, Din had officially joined DRE as a Senior Director, a testament to her exceptional skills and dedication. Her relentless pursuit of excellence didn’t stop there; her efforts eventually earned her a key executive role, becoming the VP of Recruiting less than two years later in May 2022. During her tenure at DRE, Din firmly established herself as a formidable leader in the talent acquisition sphere.  

Din’s unique strength is based in the multitude of roles she has undertaken, which has provided a rich tapestry of experiences across various industries and verticals. Her diverse background is one of the primary sources of her edge in talent. This has facilitated a comprehensive understanding of organizations, their needs, and the intricate interplay of different functions in driving overall success. 

Sales, a pivotal early chapter in Din’s career, unveiled to her the power of relationship-building and the immense benefit of understanding motivations. Armed with this insight, Din adeptly deciphers client needs and crafts strategic solutions tailored to each unique circumstance. The ability to see beyond the obvious and target exceptional but also less obvious candidates is a hallmark of Din’s approach to recruiting and has been shaped by years of multifaceted experience. 

A Holistic Approach 

While running Task Boutique, Din took the opportunity to both expand her knowledge and quell her curiosity in a novel and unique way by studying Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. She earned her Master’s degree through a rigorous 4-year program including a clinical internship at the Baylor College of Medicine. This experience has significantly influenced her approach to talent acquisition and management. Despite seeming like an unlikely pairing with her previous business experience, it provided her with a unique perspective. The holistic nature of natural medicine has allowed her to better understand the interconnectedness of physical and mental well-being, self-care, and the prevention of stress and subsequent burnout in the business world.  

This study also instilled in Din a holistic and inquiry-driven mindset. Her perspective enables her to anticipate trends and disruptions, strategically approach talent needs, and identify team members’ unique abilities. The analytical skills developed through this background allows her to work effectively with data and find balance between metrics and the human element. Her hands-on clinical experience enhanced her interpersonal skills while increasing her focus on active listening, with an open mind and heart during interactions with clients and team members. 

Perspective on Effective Communication 

Din often emphasizes the significance of effective communication, especially in the field of talent given it is a relationship-based business where interactions with people are key. She recognizes that communication goes beyond traditional verbal or written skills; it involves relating to others, leading with empathy, understanding diverse communication styles, and meeting individuals where they are. Din credits both of her degrees as a solid foundation, and throughout her career, she has continued to learn and develop the soft skills essential for fostering even more effective communication. 

Din describes her leadership style as both dynamic and rooted equally in self and situational awareness. “Understanding oneself is crucial for effective leadership and maintaining a dynamic approach is paramount” she says. As a leader, Din embraces diverse strategies, fostering trust and inclusivity. This methodology enables her to challenge team members’ boundaries and encourage growth. 

Commitment to Lifelong Learning 

Din is a dedicated lifelong learner who places great importance on continuous learning and professional development. She holds certifications in various areas, such as diversity sourcing, data science, and tech recruitment, which have significantly enhanced her ability to source, recruit and manage talent effectively. 

Din highlights the impact of her diversity sourcing certification, emphasizing how it has provided valuable insights and strategies for identifying and attracting candidates. Her certification has broadened her perspective on talent acquisition, allowing her to tap into a more extensive pool of talent and contributes to fostering inclusive work environments. In addition to understanding the benefits it brings to her clients, she is committed to understanding the unique challenges faced by underrepresented groups in the job market and aims to create an inclusive and equitable recruitment process.  

Likewise, her certification in tech recruitment has proven instrumental in comprehending the rapidly evolving technological landscape and its influence on talent acquisition. Din has a deep understanding of the transformative effect of technology on organizations and has the ability to identify and engage top tech talent effectively. Her knowledge has positioned her to stay ahead of industry trends, implement cutting-edge recruitment strategies, and attract the most in-demand tech professionals crucial for businesses.  

These certifications all showcase Din’s knowledge beyond the recruitment space and provide her with a significant competitive edge. They signify her commitment to staying current with talent acquisition’s best practices, underscore her dedication to DEI, and help her successfully navigate the dynamic tech landscape.  

“My goal is to connect exceptional individuals with exciting opportunities and at the same time facilitate growth and success in the organizations I collaborate with.”  With a well-rounded and informed approach to all areas of talent including sourcing, recruiting and management, Din specializes in delivering effective and successful strategies. 

Strategy, Team Development, and Innovation 

In her role as HireBetter’s VP of Talent-as-a-Service, Din undertakes a range of responsibilities focused on developing and executing talent strategies for clients: 

• Talent Strategy: Din works closely with an organization’s leaders to comprehend their hiring and growth goals, assess unique challenges, and design comprehensive talent strategies that actively align with the clients’ overall business objectives.
• Team Leadership: As a leader, Din provides guidance to her team with an innovative and unique approach to coaching, development and performance management ensuring exceptional client delivery.
• Process Improvement: Din successfully uses the latest technology and implements best practices in a constantly shifting talent landscape. She is constantly evaluating sourcing processes, tools, and identifying areas for improvement. Din has been especially effective in streamlining, implementing automation, and leveraging data insights to enhance sourcing and recruiting.  

Din employs specific strategies and best practices to achieve these objectives: 

• Partnerships with Clients: Building strong partnerships with clients is a core belief. By close collaboration, Din gains a sophisticated understanding of clients’ objectives and is able to map those to a detailed talent strategy that meets those objectives.
• Data-Driven Approach: Data-driven decision making is part of Din’s DNA. She uses her experience with data science and analytics to provide talent intelligence and develop innovative sourcing and recruiting strategies. Tracking key performance indicators and rigorous analysis help identify successes and suggest areas for improvement.
• Cutting-Edge Technology: In the recruiting space, technology and platform use is constantly evolving. Din leverages a combination of software, a curated collection of AI  tools and self-authored Python based apps as her effective stack. This provides effective tracking of applicants, candidate relationship management and real-time insights into the candidate market.
• Candidate Experience Focus: Din prioritizes creating an overall positive candidate experience. She emphasizes timely and transparent communication, focuses on personalized interactions, and provides a positive experience with clients’ employer brands. 

Din’s overall approach combines a strategic mindset, data-driven decision-making, innovation and a focus on candidate experience. It is through these practices that she ensures her talent services are effective, efficient, and are closely aligned with clients’ goals. 

Entrepreneurial Journey in Recruiting 

Din often mentions that, like many recruiters, she stumbled into the recruiting field but quickly discovered it was a space where she felt challenged to excel. Her journey at Diverse Recruiting Experts began as a consultant, but ended up becoming more by taking full ownership, akin to running her own business. Having extensive experience with both corporate in-house recruiting and agency recruiting, she is well acquainted with the intricacies of inside operations, asks all the pertinent questions and integrates data into every level of the decision-making processes. 

From her early days at DRE, Din constantly identified improvement opportunities and increased efficiency resulting in her role evolving and the scope of her responsibilities expanding substantially. By implementing a framework of key processes and overhauling most of the delivery model, Din was essential in propelling DRE’s growth and success. Part of the success of this model involved training a global team and utilizing data equally for the benefit of clients and internal decision-making. Most importantly, was defeating the status quo of ‘That’s how things have always been done’ as Din embraces a natural inclination for innovation and problem-solving and is adverse to leaving challenges unresolved. It is not difficult to understand how her drive for efficiency and optimization have propelled her into leadership roles. 

Insights on Dynamic Landscape of Talent Sourcing and Recruitment 

“It is extremely important to understand the field of recruitment in the broader context. The macro-environment is constantly evolving,” explains Din. “To excel in understanding talent acquisition and management, you must also grasp the intricacies of the current landscape, socioeconomic factors, and the psychology of the population” she emphasizes. Din’s natural inclination to stay informed is evident in her proactive approach to consuming information, genuinely driven by curiosity. She recognizes that talent recruitment and management should not be viewed simply as isolated transactions, at the end of the day, “it’s all about people.” For example, as Din explains, generational differences play an important role in trends and is crucial to understanding what people value in an employer, what attracts them to certain positions and what retains them over time. Din also has taken a proactive approach to staying ahead of the ever-shifting legal landscape. “We have had several recent events that have substantially changed the way we work and how we stay inclusive.” Din highlights the impact of COVID-19 as an event requiring a pivot.  She goes on to explain that COVID-19 forced organizations to rapidly adapt. In the aftermath of COVID there has been a shift in workforce preferences, with a particular focus on Return to Office (RTO) as a major challenge. “The pandemic compressed changes that normally happen over years into a transformation lasting mere months. It prompted an entire reevaluation of how people work.” 

Elevating Talent Acquisition with the Power of Soft Skills 

With her own team, Din places a significant emphasis on soft skills, considering them perhaps more essential than some hard skills, most of which can be learned. The qualities she deems most important revolve around how individuals relate to others and their overall approach to work. She highlights the following soft skills as essential contributors to success in talent acquisition: 

• Problem-solving Skills: The ability to analyze complex situations and demonstrate resourcefulness in finding innovative solutions is a key attribute. Talent acquisition often involves navigating various obstacles and individuals with strong problem-solving skills to effectively address these complexities.  
• Adaptability: Given the dynamic nature of the talent landscape, adaptability is a critical skill. Being able to adjust, embrace new trends, implement technologies, and respond to market demands is vital for staying effective in the talent space. 
• Emotional Intelligence: Beyond understanding a candidate’s skills and experience, emotional intelligence as a recruiter is very important. This skill involves perceiving and understanding the motivations, emotions, and the needs of candidates. It contributes to building meaningful connections and ensures a positive experience throughout the recruitment process. 

Din’s perspective underscores the importance of a holistic approach to talent acquisition, where interpersonal skills meet adaptability to play a central role in navigating the complexities of the field. 

Vision for the Future of Talent 

Din envisions a future of talent where understanding human behavior and process optimization using AI becomes a central focus. Leveraging data analytics and predictive modeling has become standard in the industry, but will soon evolve to a requirement in order to keep up with identifying trends and patterns in candidate behavior. Din anticipates that the advancements in AI, particularly the rise and omnipresence of LLMs (large language models), will usher in deep challenges that both job seekers and employers will need to navigate. Additionally, she emphasizes the importance of continuing to explore the intersection of AI and diversity in the talent acquisition process. Din is hopeful that AI, used appropriately, will help to alleviate bias in the sourcing process. Her approach will always involve embracing innovation and technology with ethical considerations.  

Looking towards 2024, Din highlights what’s in store when it comes to the talent landscape: 

• Work Models: How we work and the debate and decision making around flexible work models and RTO mandates.  
• Navigating Uncertainty: Having navigated uncertainty the past three years, Din sees this trend continuing into 2024. 
• Skill-based Hiring: Hiring for skills is on the rise as more companies remove or relax formal qualifications such as college degrees or certifications.  
• Diversity and Inclusion: Diversity, equity and inclusion will continue to be an integral part of a successful talent plan for many organizations.

As for HireBetter’s future, Din’s goals and aspirations center around leading and expanding the Talent-as-a-Service offering in parallel with HireBetter’s award-winning Executive Search and Project Consulting offerings. She will continue to drive innovation, and utilize technology to enhance delivery to clients. As a trusted talent partner, staying at the forefront of technical advancements and industry trends is a key objective, both of which will enable continuous improvements and provide a competitive edge for HireBetter and its clients.